Southern Ring Nebula by Webb Telescope (NASA)‘Unshackling the Spirit’: A Poem by Brian Yapko The Society January 30, 2024 Beauty, Culture, Poetry 53 Comments . Unshackling the Spirit I toss and turn at night. I wonder why I’m here. But then with dawn the skeptic’s free, Dismissing faith and scoffing at the sky. I’m certain—Oh so certain—all I see Is limited to mass and energy— What I can see and hear and touch and smell. __And, yes, this seems like hell. If it cannot be measured, is it real? If there’s no weight or width can I believe? Then tell me… in the dark why do I feel A Presence? Bah. It’s just a myth men weave. Yet leaps of faith allow me to conceive A multiverse of post-quantum inventions. __And twelve unseen dimensions. When young I dissed religion as the crutch Of simpletons, rank tyrants or the weak— A hostile argument to which I’d clutch Bewildered that the smart and strong could seek An omnipresent God who loves the meek. I’d mock their books, their words, their very sight; __And think what if they’re right? A person may scorn faith yet change his mind; A loved one dies; there’s tragedy or war; Or cancer grows; or fire leaves one blind. I’ve let pride govern me down to my core. And yet the Cosmos’ vastness awes me more. How shallow if I say God cannot rule… __And prove myself a fool. Belief may quail when faced with Time’s domain Of eons where all measure disappears. What are the odds a deity could reign To fill those empty, churning, lifeless years? But it’s my limits I describe; my fears. For I project on Him what’s weak in me, __And mediocrity. The Book of Narcissism can’t begin To offer me the reason why I’m here And spotlights only science, self and sin. Life’s overwhelming mysteries bring fear, While knowledge of deep insights are unclear. I’ll never grasp Creation, I admit; __And all that’s infinite. But miracles are not so hard to find! I’m learning not to cower from the stark Reality of God in my own mind. The essence of my life, this divine spark Gives hints of how His light can pierce the dark. A Higher Realm begins to make me whole __And helps me claim my soul. O clever world, you can’t grasp all you are Or understand the universe you see Of all that is, from molecule to star— From proton-smallness to eternity! And now? I pray to something that’s not me. God help me build faith stronger than my fears __And deeper than my tears. . . Brian Yapko is a lawyer who also writes poetry. He lives in Wimauma, Florida. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Trending now: 53 Responses Mo January 30, 2024 Brian, You are living my thoughts. Best wishes… Reply Brian A. Yapko January 30, 2024 Thank you so much, Mo! Reply Mary Gardner January 30, 2024 Brian, your deep poem expresses open-mindedness on the speaker’s part. Logical and scientific of mind, he analyzes his beliefs and recognizes that even science is predicated upon unproven assumptions. Your choice of rhyme royal is perfect for this work, as is the truncated meter of the final line of each stanza. Reply Brian A. Yapko January 30, 2024 Thank you very much, Mary. You hit upon one of the keys to my work — the fact that an enormous amount of science is taken quite literally on faith. Scientists take very seriously ideas like the multidemonsional realm of String Theory (postulating many more dimensions than the 4 dimensions that are actually observable and provable); or the existence of a Multiverse (in which there are an infinite number of alternative universes in which everything that can happen does happen.) These are highly respected theories for which there is literally no evidence other than that the Mathematics works out nicely for them. And yet it is respectable to write Ph.D. theses and scientific papers about them and invest entire careers in the research. Well, as far as I can see, the Mathematics works out even better for the idea of one universe with one Creator. But somehow, Science considers that beneath consideration. A great pity, too, because some of the greatest scientific achievenments have been made by men of faith. Reply James Sale January 30, 2024 Philosophical, but your form gives this a lovely flow and tincture; I especially like the But it’s my limits I describe; my fears. For I project on Him what’s weak in me, __And mediocrity. It possibly still remains the most compelling argument for the existence of God: the existence of the cosmos itself. Socrates added: alongside the moral law within. Wonderful writing Brian. Reply Brian A. Yapko January 30, 2024 Thank you very much indeed, James! I realize philosophical poetry may not always work so I’m especially pleased that it did for you. As it happens, the lines you mention are the ones which pleased me most in the writing process. And concerning those lines metrically … when read out loud, the twice italicized “my” should slow the meter down and, I hope, emphasize that it is the speaker’s failings which are the stumbling block when it comes to faith in God. Reply Roy Eugene Peterson January 30, 2024 There is an other-wordly energy to your poem that beckons and invites readers to contemplate the existence of an intelligence far beyond comprehension who created life and the forces that made us what we are. Science itself is limited to exploration only of that which can be analyzed and cannot dissect or discern that which remains out of their realm of testing and observance. This is a great poem of a process of becoming aware that there is so much more to life and to this universe we inhabit. Reply Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you so much, Roy! I love your description of “other-worldly energy” which, for me, means contemplation of things from a somewhat higher plane than normal. It’s not easy. How does one find the language to relate to another one’s certainty that God exists? Especially when (mostly) eschewing the conventional language of religion? Reply Russel Winick January 30, 2024 Brian, this is an amazing job of expressing thoughts that so many of us likely have had over the years. So many lines are just perfect! Fine work. Reply Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you so much, Russel! I think we all go through doubts at one time or another — and maybe that makes faith that much stronger when we get through them. Reply Joseph S. Salemi January 30, 2024 This is very ambitious, in its length and its handling of religious-philosophical questions. It depends heavily on diegesis rather than mimesis, and that can limit a poem’s appeal. Some medieval poems are lengthy disquisitions on religious-philosophical matters, such as The Pearl, and yet they are still quite good. This begins with a narrative of the speaker’s early skepticism. Then it moves to possible motivations for faith — death, tragedy, sickness, evil, and all the other all-too-human experiences that cry out for explanation and solace. It then turns to the issue of eternity, a concept that simply cannot be fathomed by the human mind, which is time-bound in its abilities. Traditional cultures have always come up with stories to explain the beginning of the world, or what we call “creation myths.” But St. Thomas Aquinas pointed out that we cannot say (by human reasoning) that the universe has not ALWAYS existed — we know that it had a beginning only because of special divine revelation. But someone lacking faith cannot give an answer to the question of existence itself: Why is there anything AT ALL? Einstein laid down as an axiom that “Matter can neither be created nor destroyed.” But that was simply a verbal trick to get around the question of existence. The word itself derives from “ex” and “stare” — together the two mean “to stand outside of.” What is it that they stand outside of? The answer is NOTHINGNESS. As James Sale points out, the mere fact of existence is the greatest of all miracles. Reply James Sale January 30, 2024 Thanks for this Joe: once we truly understand the nature of creation and the cosmos (and why does existence exist?) then the mind – at least mine, and I believe all rational beings’ – becomes stupefied with awe. Then, what can be the only response to the Creator behind all this creation, which also includes in Tolkienesque terminology, our own sub-creations? The words in the book of Job are here perhaps the only appropriate response. Reply Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Beautifully stated, James — to anyone with eyes and a heart, how can the Cosmos elicit any response other than awe? Your reference to Job here is perfect and inspiring — God answering Job from the whirlwind in Job 38, including my favorite line: “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth…?” Cynthia Erlandson January 31, 2024 James, as soon as I read your above parenthetical comment (“and why does existence exist?”), for some crazy reason I felt a limerick coming. (I hardly ever write this late at night, so feel free to dismiss this bit of silliness!) And why does existence exist? Any rational man must insist That the only response Is that nothing like “chance” Could create. That thought must be dismissed. Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Cynthia, I know your comment/limerick is directed to James but I just had to comment how much I enjoyed this spontaneous poem! Stephen M. Dickey January 30, 2024 Um, didn’t Einstein argue that matter can be destroyed by being converted to energy? Reply Joseph S. Salemi January 30, 2024 Conversion is not annihilation. Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Stephen, Joe is right. And Einstein’s Special and General Theories of Relativity have long held great fascination for me. In 1903, Einstein’s “annus mirabilis,” the obscure physicist presented his original paper on Special Relativity, one of the consequences of which was his discovery of the equation E= mc2 which posits the equivalence of mass and energy. Energy and mass are the same thing in different states. As a consequence, he merged the laws of the Conservation of Mass and the Conservation of Energy into the Law of Conservation of Mass-Energy: Thus, the total amount of mass and energy in the universe is constant. Conversion from one to the other is possible but not annihilation. Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Oops — 1905 not 1903 for Einstein’s annus mirabilis — the year he introduced three highly consequential papers, one of which introduced his theory of special relativity. Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Your comment is much appreciated, Joe. You’re so right — this is not a poem that is likely to have broad appeal. It is extremely subjective and personal and may even skirt the border of confessional poetry. For what it’s worth, as I was writing this I recalled reading Wordsworth’s “Prelude” back in college and fancied that this poem might fall within that slightly navel-gazing (I’ll own that) Romantic vein. Also, I wrote this shortly after reading Augustine’s “Confessions” — in which he very much outlines his spiritual growth from a pagan to a Christian. I thought that having gone through a great many mental adjustments in my own development as a Christian, it might be worthwhile to share some of them in the event that someone else might relate to my thought development. Does that make for good poetry? Well… I like it. But I recognize that a great many will not. As far as the meat of your comment — you raise issues of great profundity, Joe, which are worth an essay at least. Why IS there anything at all? How does one make sense of this universe without a Prime Mover? Your mention of Aquinas particularly pleases me as I think of him as embodying the idea of great faith reconciled with great intellectual discipline and order. In other words, a reconciliation of faith and science. My personal view is that science is the creation of God and has a daunting realm of validity. But I do not deify it nor do I consider it to be anything more than God’s creation — the language He has used to create and order existence. I also really love your mention of Albert Einstein, who happens to be someone I greatly admire for a number of reasons. Einstein famously said “I want to know the mind of God. The rest are details.” And, lastly, I fully agree with you and James. The very fact that existence exists at all is indeed the greatest of all miracles. That profound thought also is worth writing about — and with deep gratitude at that! Reply Cynthia Erlandson January 30, 2024 Extremely impressive poetry, Brian! I love that every verse’s final line is so emphatic. “Time’s domain / Of eons where all measure disappears” may be my favorite line, for its irony. Also, “The Book of Narcissism can’t begin / To offer me the reason why I’m here. . .” and “From proton-smallness to eternity!” are wonderfully expressed, profound thoughts. Reply Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you so much, Cynthia. I was especially hoping that you would like this poem! Reply Michael Vanyukov January 30, 2024 It often starts with “what if they’re right?” in our (or any) sceptical age. Then it progresses to understanding that it is the more plausible – and rational – solution. So well described by Brian. Reply Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you so much, Michael! That “what if they’re right” thinking must be fairly common — and so powerful! I’m grateful that you perceive my solution as rational and plausible. Faith does not necessarily rely on this, but it’s a wonderful thing when a person can see faith and reason as reconciled and not contradictory. Reply Michael Vanyukov January 31, 2024 Brian, it is, of course, my own experience, coming to faith via reason. I am, however, encouraged by you and others. There was a famous geneticist and evolutionist, Theodosius Dobzhansky, who was lucky enough to leave the Soviet Union in 1927 to never return, before genetics was outlawed there. He was deeply religious and he knew well that science and religion are different domains. Here is the text of a popular paper he wrote. https://www.2think.org/dobzhansky.shtml Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Michael, thank you for introducing me to Dobzhansky. I will look forward to reading his paper! I’m always interested in individuals who find a way to reconcile faith with science. Dan Tuton January 30, 2024 Beautifully written, Brian! It reminds me of a few of my less eloquent musings in a scattering of homilies. If I hadn’t been encouraged by wonderful, well-informed believing friends to boldly entertain scientific knowledge and bring it to terms with my faith, I fear that faith could have languished. It’s always refreshing to read your work. Reply Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you so much, Fr. Dan! This means a lot to me. I like your idea of boldly entertaining scientific knowledge. Many see faith and science as irreconcilable and this is something I don’t understand. I believe science is simply learning the language and tools with which God created the universe. The more we learn about how His creation, the universe, works, the closer we get to understanding Him. Reply David Paul Behrens January 30, 2024 This poem is excellent and interesting on many levels, especially the subject matter. One could spend a lifetime pondering the existence of God, existence after death or merely existence itself, only to realize it is all just speculation. Reply Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you so much for reading and commenting, David. I’m really glad that you enjoyed my work. Reply Norma Pain January 30, 2024 Mr. Salemi’s question, “Why is there anything AT ALL?”, is where my mind always ends up, or ‘HOW is there anything AT ALL’. We must be here for a purpose but we may not find out until after we die, or perhaps we will never find out even after we die, which is the part that bothers me the most! Thinking reincarnation. Where might I end up the next time on this troubled world, so I count my blessings regularly. Thank you for this really good poem Brian. Reply Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you so much, Norma! In philosophical moments I too am haunted by that question of how it is that anything exists at all. And the more I learn about the scientifically-postulated origins of the universe, the more impossible it seems to me to have occurred without the actions of a Creator. And, yes, if there is a Creator then we are His creations. And if we are His creations, then logic dictates that we were not purposefully created for no reason but that we do indeed have a purpose here. A lifetime is well-spent trying to discern that purpose. Reply Margaret Coats January 30, 2024 Brian, congratulations on expanding our horizons by presenting a poem in a style rare for us, although not so rare in the course of poetry itself or of poetry in English. It’s a philosophical or intellectual piece, offered as an interior monologue of the protagonist. This is unusual for you, because you ordinarily like to make your monologues character expositions, with the speaker addressing a silent interlocutor other than the reader. In what you do here, there is less opportunity for the speaker to be perceived as other than the writer. I can think of passages that might be comparable in Pope or some Renaissance poets, but as topics differ, let me focus on the lyric genre as a complaint. That allows for noticing how you argue with (or complain of) yourself and others in this poem. It’s not a smoothly reasoned discourse, but a narrative escorting the reader into the protagonist’s consciousness. It does come to a foregone conclusion, showing decisive change in him. The title, “Unshackling the Spirit,” indicates the goal. Kindly forgive me for not discussing the argument, but finding here one cheeky poet well-known to dislike narcissism–and one who’s completely invested in the due emotion of a process ending, most importantly, in tears. To him, the most significant evidence for reality of the spiritual realm is his mind capable of this kind of thought. I love the fact that “divine” in “divine spark” has word accent contrary to the meter (“random” would be a metrical fit). I love the stanza codas used in several ways to shake up or spread out ideas. And I like the physics and mathematics informing the discourse. I was fortunate in my own course of study as a physics major to have liberal professors who nonetheless understood their limits. As they used to say, “physics” means “nature.” Physicists study nature, but the supernatural is the realm of metaphysics. Speaking in particular of the ether supposedly gainsaying Einsteinian relativity, they would say, “It has no measurable properties. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t there.” Reply Margaret Coats January 30, 2024 It just means the ether, like God and certain mathematical ideas, is a concern beyond the realm of physics! Reply Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Margaret, thank you so much for this detailed and appreciative comment which notes the rare style of poem offered. I’m especially intrigued by your reference to Alexander Pope and some of the poets of the Renaissance. In all candor, I did not consider where this type of poem might fit in the historical framework of poetry. I simply felt the need to express the thoughts — my personal thoughts — in poetic form and to share them with others. In some ways, this may be my most personal poem since it follows my own thought progression (in a distilled manner) from agnosticism to confident faith. But even though I did not formally decide that I would write a philosophical piece per se, as I mentioned to Dr. Salemi above, I had two particular inspirations rolling around in my mind: Wordsworth’s autobiographical but poeticized “Prelude” and, more importantly, St. Augustine’s “Confessions,” which I finished reading a few months ago. Augustine details the development of his thinking from the time he was a child — paganism, Neoplatonism, Manicheism. And all the while Christianity is in the background with him repeatedly rejecting it. He was a very tough nut to crack! But once he found the proverbial chink in his armor of pride and was able to view faith in the Judeo-Christian God in a different way, his path towards a Christian life was set. I’m no Augustine, but I was captivated by his willingness to share his faith journey and decided that I wanted to do something like that also — only in poetry, which is where I am most emotionally articulate. A quick note, since I’ve mentioned Wordsworth. My final line uses the phrase “deeper than my tears.” This is intended as an allusion to Wordsworth’s words in Ode on Intimations of Immortality: “thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.” And, as you hint, my own tears at the end are a reflection of intellect transcended and faith accepted (perhaps, with the slightest hint of baptism.) I’m glad you approve my metrical variation of “divine” which allowed me to end the line with an emphatic spondee. Your identifying the poet here as “cheeky” surprises me — until I consider how unorthodox the poem actually is and how an older speaker (gently) mocks his younger self and others who might believe as he/I once did. Thank you for identifying narcissism (and attendant pride) as the speaker’s nemesis in this poem. I’ve engaged in it (I’m ashamed to say), I’ve fought it, I’ve been surrounded by it and I’m happy to go on record identifying it as one of the major sources of our struggling culture’s woes, from atheism to transgender self-indulgence, to self-referential views on reality, to utter contempt for Truth. Lastly, bravo for science professors who could actually acknowledge that science does not supercede, cancel or disprove faith. You were lucky because most professors these days would be woke, evangelical atheists. There is irony in the fact that so many scientific discoveries through the centuries have been made by people of faith. Two who immediately come to mind are Sir Isaac Newton and Gregor Mendel. Reply Susan Jarvis Bryant January 30, 2024 Brian, what a tour de force of a poem that explores the phases of a journey that leads to the ultimate awakening. As ever, your poem is written smoothly and beautifully, never detracting, only serving to enhance the wonder of the message it conveys… and the message is powerful. I particularly like the inner conflict: “I’d mock their books, their words, their very sight;/And think what if they’re right?” and “How shallow if I say God cannot rule…/And prove myself a fool.” are two wonderful examples of this. The chosen form works beautifully. Having those potent, bite-sized points at the end of each stanza conveys that inner struggle perfectly. I like the way the narrator grows increasingly humble as the poem progresses. From personal experience, I know that the older I get the less I know. The sheer complexity of Creation astounds and humbles me. The only thing I am certain of is that humankind has neither the ability to fully comprehend, nor the capability replicate the innumerable and unfathomable gifts that surround us. The closing couplet pricked my eyes with tears. What a magnificent journey to the life-changing realization that God exists… and He is more important than the one who thought he knew everything. These words: “God help me build faith stronger than my fears /And deeper than my tears.” are breathtaking. Very well done indeed, Brian, and thank you! Reply Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you, Susan, for this extremely generous comment. You see exactly what I was aiming for! While I’m pleased that you see the poem as smoothly written, what most matters to me is that you see the progression of the speaker from youthful arrogance and pride to increasing humility leading finally to the tears that (I hope) reveal a certain surrender on the part of the speaker. We are perfectly aligned here: the older I get, the more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know and how lacking in wisdom I am. From that vantage point, I think the speaker has sufficient authority to admonish a “clever” (and deeply shallow) world which, like the speaker when he was an arrogant youth, thinks it knows more than it does. And, as you suggest, in the end, it is God that gives meaning to all that surrounds us. “Gifts innumerable and unfathomable” sounds very much like the title of a poem of gratitude. Would you care to give it a go? I’m especially glad that closing couplet moved you. As I mentioned to Margaret above, I embedded an allusion to Wordsworth’s Ode on Intimations of Immortality, and his “thoughts too deep for tears.” I hope that enhances rather than detracts from the impact of those closing lines. Susan, thank you again for your kind words! Reply Shaun C. Duncan January 30, 2024 I really enjoyed this poem, Brian, having trod this intellectual path myself and I hope other readers appreciate that it’s not easy to set out a philosophical argument in verse, let alone have it flow so smoothly. The closing couplet is beautiful and the perfect summation of the poem’s theme, implying as it does a sense of ongoing inquiry and a hard-won humility. Reply Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you so much for this, Shaun. I am so taken with your phrase “hard-won humility.” Yes, humility (very different from low self-esteem or humiliation) has a muscular component and it is, I think, an extremely important quality of character in matters spiritual. That it is “hard-won” is so true. It takes tremendous work to find acceptance of one’s right size in this world. And the ongoing inquiry you mention never stops, does it? It’s important in life, I believe, to remain both curious and teachable. Reply Mike Bryant January 31, 2024 This is a big poem with big ideas. Every honest person must face these questions head on at some point. You clearly represent the challenges and the only logical conclusion. Love it! Reply Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you very much, Mike! I do indeed think it’s the only logical conclusion. Unfortunately, there are a great many who would disagree with us. I do not envy them. Reply C.B. Anderson January 31, 2024 This poem is piercingly intelligent and satisfyingly cosmic. It is difficult to gaze at the sky (day or night, or in between) and not experience feelings of awe. It was my impression that String Theory posits eleven, not twelve, dimensions, but an even dozen is close enough. And who’s counting? — except when it comes to metrical feet. Reply Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you, C.B., for this incredible comment. I don’t know about “piercingly intelligent” but I’m glad tyou feel that way. And “satisfyingly cosmic” is particularly pleasing to me. You are absolutely right about String Theory. At least one version of it. However, when I was preparing this poem I found versions of String Theory with 10 dimensions, then 11, then 21, then 26, then 9. Those amazing, objective scientists really do have it down to a science, don’t they? Well, when I saw there was no agreement, I decided on 12 as the most religiously significant number I could summon to subtly mock the theory. It’s just me being transgressive. And isn’t it interesting that when God is in charge all you need are the 4 dimensions which we can actually observe and verify? But atheists would rather come up with outlandish, tortured and unprovable hypotheses involving 9,10,11, 21 or 26 unseen dimensions rather than consider the vastly simpler, more logical, elegant possibility of a Creator. Personally, I think Occam’s razor applies here. Reply C.B. Anderson February 1, 2024 In any case, Brian, String Theory has not panned out as well as many physicists had hoped. They still find themselves unable to unify gravity with the other three forces. It’s something of a muddle at this point. Persons such as us have little chance to master the mathematics involved, but neither can the mathematics master the actual world. C.B. Anderson February 1, 2024 Part of my “piercingly intelligent” description had to do with the way you nailed the psychology involved, and on those grounds alone it is justified. Brian A. Yapko February 1, 2024 Thank you, C.B. The psychological journey was actually cathartic to write about. I’m glad I was able to present it in a way that was comprehensible and relatable rather than solipsistic or navel-gazing. As for that elusive Theory of Everything — I rather hope they never come up with the solution. It is my view that there are some mysteries that should never be solved. As you point out, the mathematics can never truly master the world. I read an interesting article perhaps a year ago about scientists and atheism. Across the spectrum, it seems that the highest percentage of atheists in science is in Physics. And the highest number of believers is in Mathematics. The inference I draw from that is that Mathematicians are able to discern a symmetry and perfect order in the universe which probability would suggest is divinely-ordained. Joseph S. Salemi January 31, 2024 Some of the most important discoveries in cosmology were made by Georges Lemaître, a Belgian Catholic priest who was also a brilliant theoretical physicist, astronomer, and mathematician whose work was read and respected world-wide. It was Lemaître (he taught at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium) who laid the groundwork for the Big Bang theory. Together with Edwin Hubble’s subsequent observations of galactic movement, this proved that the universe is not static but expanding. Lemaître postulated a single particle or “primeval atom,” the explosion of which created the universe and set it in endless motion. Lemaître’s countless contributions to theoretical cosmology are right up there with those of Hubble, Eddington, and Einstein. The Big Bang was merely one of them. He had no problems at all with being fully committed to his Catholic faith, and at the same time understanding and analyzing the existence of the physical world. I am reminded of the very wise remark of a Renaissance cardinal during the dispute over the Copernican theory of heliocentrism and planetary movement. He said “The Bible tells us how to get to heaven. It does not tell us how the heavens move.” Reply Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you for this information, Joe! I’ve seen the name Lemaitre in science books but had no idea that he was a Catholic priest! His work was integral to what may well be the most important discovery in astrophysics of the 20th Century. Imagine a science-minded priest in the company of Hubble, Eddington and Einstein! This unexpected assocition is deeply intriguing to me. And you indicate that there were many other contributions as well. Well, you have given me a fascinating individual to research and possibly write about. Thank you. And that Renaissance cardinal’s quote is priceless. Reply Jeff Eardley February 1, 2024 Brian, the great English writer, Douglas Adams, in his “Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy” postulated that the answer to the riddle of “Life, the Universe and Everthing” was……Forty Two! I stuck with this for a while until I started to lie on my back in dark sky locations and realise there is more to it than that. All these stellar objects flying away from each other, yet, in my lifetime, they haven’t moved at all. Your deeply philosophical piece merits many readings. You are a great poet Brian. I loved this. Reply Brian A. Yapko February 1, 2024 Jeff, thank you. This extremely generous comment is almost a poem itself. I love your observation about how stellar objects fly away from us and each other — usually at incomprehensible speeds — and we don’t notice any difference! If you think about it, that’s astonishing! And I must say, Forty Two as the answer is indeed baffling. Reply Joshua C. Frank February 3, 2024 Brian, this is great! You’ve captured so well the thought process of an unbeliever slowly starting to become a believer… as I’m in a position to know, not having become serious about the Catholic faith into which I was baptized until my twenties. Normally, I have a favorite line in each of your poems, but in this one, every line describes it perfectly. Reply Brian A. Yapko February 3, 2024 Thank you very much, Josh! I’m so happy to receive this comment! And boy am I glad we both became believers. I wish I had found faith in my twenties like you, but I guess it takes what it takes. Reply Joshua C. Frank February 3, 2024 Hey, I wish I’d found faith in my teens! But I’m extremely glad we both became believers as well. Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Mary Gardner January 30, 2024 Brian, your deep poem expresses open-mindedness on the speaker’s part. Logical and scientific of mind, he analyzes his beliefs and recognizes that even science is predicated upon unproven assumptions. Your choice of rhyme royal is perfect for this work, as is the truncated meter of the final line of each stanza. Reply
Brian A. Yapko January 30, 2024 Thank you very much, Mary. You hit upon one of the keys to my work — the fact that an enormous amount of science is taken quite literally on faith. Scientists take very seriously ideas like the multidemonsional realm of String Theory (postulating many more dimensions than the 4 dimensions that are actually observable and provable); or the existence of a Multiverse (in which there are an infinite number of alternative universes in which everything that can happen does happen.) These are highly respected theories for which there is literally no evidence other than that the Mathematics works out nicely for them. And yet it is respectable to write Ph.D. theses and scientific papers about them and invest entire careers in the research. Well, as far as I can see, the Mathematics works out even better for the idea of one universe with one Creator. But somehow, Science considers that beneath consideration. A great pity, too, because some of the greatest scientific achievenments have been made by men of faith. Reply
James Sale January 30, 2024 Philosophical, but your form gives this a lovely flow and tincture; I especially like the But it’s my limits I describe; my fears. For I project on Him what’s weak in me, __And mediocrity. It possibly still remains the most compelling argument for the existence of God: the existence of the cosmos itself. Socrates added: alongside the moral law within. Wonderful writing Brian. Reply
Brian A. Yapko January 30, 2024 Thank you very much indeed, James! I realize philosophical poetry may not always work so I’m especially pleased that it did for you. As it happens, the lines you mention are the ones which pleased me most in the writing process. And concerning those lines metrically … when read out loud, the twice italicized “my” should slow the meter down and, I hope, emphasize that it is the speaker’s failings which are the stumbling block when it comes to faith in God. Reply
Roy Eugene Peterson January 30, 2024 There is an other-wordly energy to your poem that beckons and invites readers to contemplate the existence of an intelligence far beyond comprehension who created life and the forces that made us what we are. Science itself is limited to exploration only of that which can be analyzed and cannot dissect or discern that which remains out of their realm of testing and observance. This is a great poem of a process of becoming aware that there is so much more to life and to this universe we inhabit. Reply
Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you so much, Roy! I love your description of “other-worldly energy” which, for me, means contemplation of things from a somewhat higher plane than normal. It’s not easy. How does one find the language to relate to another one’s certainty that God exists? Especially when (mostly) eschewing the conventional language of religion? Reply
Russel Winick January 30, 2024 Brian, this is an amazing job of expressing thoughts that so many of us likely have had over the years. So many lines are just perfect! Fine work. Reply
Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you so much, Russel! I think we all go through doubts at one time or another — and maybe that makes faith that much stronger when we get through them. Reply
Joseph S. Salemi January 30, 2024 This is very ambitious, in its length and its handling of religious-philosophical questions. It depends heavily on diegesis rather than mimesis, and that can limit a poem’s appeal. Some medieval poems are lengthy disquisitions on religious-philosophical matters, such as The Pearl, and yet they are still quite good. This begins with a narrative of the speaker’s early skepticism. Then it moves to possible motivations for faith — death, tragedy, sickness, evil, and all the other all-too-human experiences that cry out for explanation and solace. It then turns to the issue of eternity, a concept that simply cannot be fathomed by the human mind, which is time-bound in its abilities. Traditional cultures have always come up with stories to explain the beginning of the world, or what we call “creation myths.” But St. Thomas Aquinas pointed out that we cannot say (by human reasoning) that the universe has not ALWAYS existed — we know that it had a beginning only because of special divine revelation. But someone lacking faith cannot give an answer to the question of existence itself: Why is there anything AT ALL? Einstein laid down as an axiom that “Matter can neither be created nor destroyed.” But that was simply a verbal trick to get around the question of existence. The word itself derives from “ex” and “stare” — together the two mean “to stand outside of.” What is it that they stand outside of? The answer is NOTHINGNESS. As James Sale points out, the mere fact of existence is the greatest of all miracles. Reply
James Sale January 30, 2024 Thanks for this Joe: once we truly understand the nature of creation and the cosmos (and why does existence exist?) then the mind – at least mine, and I believe all rational beings’ – becomes stupefied with awe. Then, what can be the only response to the Creator behind all this creation, which also includes in Tolkienesque terminology, our own sub-creations? The words in the book of Job are here perhaps the only appropriate response. Reply
Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Beautifully stated, James — to anyone with eyes and a heart, how can the Cosmos elicit any response other than awe? Your reference to Job here is perfect and inspiring — God answering Job from the whirlwind in Job 38, including my favorite line: “Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the Earth…?”
Cynthia Erlandson January 31, 2024 James, as soon as I read your above parenthetical comment (“and why does existence exist?”), for some crazy reason I felt a limerick coming. (I hardly ever write this late at night, so feel free to dismiss this bit of silliness!) And why does existence exist? Any rational man must insist That the only response Is that nothing like “chance” Could create. That thought must be dismissed.
Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Cynthia, I know your comment/limerick is directed to James but I just had to comment how much I enjoyed this spontaneous poem!
Stephen M. Dickey January 30, 2024 Um, didn’t Einstein argue that matter can be destroyed by being converted to energy? Reply
Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Stephen, Joe is right. And Einstein’s Special and General Theories of Relativity have long held great fascination for me. In 1903, Einstein’s “annus mirabilis,” the obscure physicist presented his original paper on Special Relativity, one of the consequences of which was his discovery of the equation E= mc2 which posits the equivalence of mass and energy. Energy and mass are the same thing in different states. As a consequence, he merged the laws of the Conservation of Mass and the Conservation of Energy into the Law of Conservation of Mass-Energy: Thus, the total amount of mass and energy in the universe is constant. Conversion from one to the other is possible but not annihilation.
Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Oops — 1905 not 1903 for Einstein’s annus mirabilis — the year he introduced three highly consequential papers, one of which introduced his theory of special relativity.
Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Your comment is much appreciated, Joe. You’re so right — this is not a poem that is likely to have broad appeal. It is extremely subjective and personal and may even skirt the border of confessional poetry. For what it’s worth, as I was writing this I recalled reading Wordsworth’s “Prelude” back in college and fancied that this poem might fall within that slightly navel-gazing (I’ll own that) Romantic vein. Also, I wrote this shortly after reading Augustine’s “Confessions” — in which he very much outlines his spiritual growth from a pagan to a Christian. I thought that having gone through a great many mental adjustments in my own development as a Christian, it might be worthwhile to share some of them in the event that someone else might relate to my thought development. Does that make for good poetry? Well… I like it. But I recognize that a great many will not. As far as the meat of your comment — you raise issues of great profundity, Joe, which are worth an essay at least. Why IS there anything at all? How does one make sense of this universe without a Prime Mover? Your mention of Aquinas particularly pleases me as I think of him as embodying the idea of great faith reconciled with great intellectual discipline and order. In other words, a reconciliation of faith and science. My personal view is that science is the creation of God and has a daunting realm of validity. But I do not deify it nor do I consider it to be anything more than God’s creation — the language He has used to create and order existence. I also really love your mention of Albert Einstein, who happens to be someone I greatly admire for a number of reasons. Einstein famously said “I want to know the mind of God. The rest are details.” And, lastly, I fully agree with you and James. The very fact that existence exists at all is indeed the greatest of all miracles. That profound thought also is worth writing about — and with deep gratitude at that! Reply
Cynthia Erlandson January 30, 2024 Extremely impressive poetry, Brian! I love that every verse’s final line is so emphatic. “Time’s domain / Of eons where all measure disappears” may be my favorite line, for its irony. Also, “The Book of Narcissism can’t begin / To offer me the reason why I’m here. . .” and “From proton-smallness to eternity!” are wonderfully expressed, profound thoughts. Reply
Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you so much, Cynthia. I was especially hoping that you would like this poem! Reply
Michael Vanyukov January 30, 2024 It often starts with “what if they’re right?” in our (or any) sceptical age. Then it progresses to understanding that it is the more plausible – and rational – solution. So well described by Brian. Reply
Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you so much, Michael! That “what if they’re right” thinking must be fairly common — and so powerful! I’m grateful that you perceive my solution as rational and plausible. Faith does not necessarily rely on this, but it’s a wonderful thing when a person can see faith and reason as reconciled and not contradictory. Reply
Michael Vanyukov January 31, 2024 Brian, it is, of course, my own experience, coming to faith via reason. I am, however, encouraged by you and others. There was a famous geneticist and evolutionist, Theodosius Dobzhansky, who was lucky enough to leave the Soviet Union in 1927 to never return, before genetics was outlawed there. He was deeply religious and he knew well that science and religion are different domains. Here is the text of a popular paper he wrote. https://www.2think.org/dobzhansky.shtml
Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Michael, thank you for introducing me to Dobzhansky. I will look forward to reading his paper! I’m always interested in individuals who find a way to reconcile faith with science.
Dan Tuton January 30, 2024 Beautifully written, Brian! It reminds me of a few of my less eloquent musings in a scattering of homilies. If I hadn’t been encouraged by wonderful, well-informed believing friends to boldly entertain scientific knowledge and bring it to terms with my faith, I fear that faith could have languished. It’s always refreshing to read your work. Reply
Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you so much, Fr. Dan! This means a lot to me. I like your idea of boldly entertaining scientific knowledge. Many see faith and science as irreconcilable and this is something I don’t understand. I believe science is simply learning the language and tools with which God created the universe. The more we learn about how His creation, the universe, works, the closer we get to understanding Him. Reply
David Paul Behrens January 30, 2024 This poem is excellent and interesting on many levels, especially the subject matter. One could spend a lifetime pondering the existence of God, existence after death or merely existence itself, only to realize it is all just speculation. Reply
Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you so much for reading and commenting, David. I’m really glad that you enjoyed my work. Reply
Norma Pain January 30, 2024 Mr. Salemi’s question, “Why is there anything AT ALL?”, is where my mind always ends up, or ‘HOW is there anything AT ALL’. We must be here for a purpose but we may not find out until after we die, or perhaps we will never find out even after we die, which is the part that bothers me the most! Thinking reincarnation. Where might I end up the next time on this troubled world, so I count my blessings regularly. Thank you for this really good poem Brian. Reply
Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you so much, Norma! In philosophical moments I too am haunted by that question of how it is that anything exists at all. And the more I learn about the scientifically-postulated origins of the universe, the more impossible it seems to me to have occurred without the actions of a Creator. And, yes, if there is a Creator then we are His creations. And if we are His creations, then logic dictates that we were not purposefully created for no reason but that we do indeed have a purpose here. A lifetime is well-spent trying to discern that purpose. Reply
Margaret Coats January 30, 2024 Brian, congratulations on expanding our horizons by presenting a poem in a style rare for us, although not so rare in the course of poetry itself or of poetry in English. It’s a philosophical or intellectual piece, offered as an interior monologue of the protagonist. This is unusual for you, because you ordinarily like to make your monologues character expositions, with the speaker addressing a silent interlocutor other than the reader. In what you do here, there is less opportunity for the speaker to be perceived as other than the writer. I can think of passages that might be comparable in Pope or some Renaissance poets, but as topics differ, let me focus on the lyric genre as a complaint. That allows for noticing how you argue with (or complain of) yourself and others in this poem. It’s not a smoothly reasoned discourse, but a narrative escorting the reader into the protagonist’s consciousness. It does come to a foregone conclusion, showing decisive change in him. The title, “Unshackling the Spirit,” indicates the goal. Kindly forgive me for not discussing the argument, but finding here one cheeky poet well-known to dislike narcissism–and one who’s completely invested in the due emotion of a process ending, most importantly, in tears. To him, the most significant evidence for reality of the spiritual realm is his mind capable of this kind of thought. I love the fact that “divine” in “divine spark” has word accent contrary to the meter (“random” would be a metrical fit). I love the stanza codas used in several ways to shake up or spread out ideas. And I like the physics and mathematics informing the discourse. I was fortunate in my own course of study as a physics major to have liberal professors who nonetheless understood their limits. As they used to say, “physics” means “nature.” Physicists study nature, but the supernatural is the realm of metaphysics. Speaking in particular of the ether supposedly gainsaying Einsteinian relativity, they would say, “It has no measurable properties. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t there.” Reply
Margaret Coats January 30, 2024 It just means the ether, like God and certain mathematical ideas, is a concern beyond the realm of physics! Reply
Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Margaret, thank you so much for this detailed and appreciative comment which notes the rare style of poem offered. I’m especially intrigued by your reference to Alexander Pope and some of the poets of the Renaissance. In all candor, I did not consider where this type of poem might fit in the historical framework of poetry. I simply felt the need to express the thoughts — my personal thoughts — in poetic form and to share them with others. In some ways, this may be my most personal poem since it follows my own thought progression (in a distilled manner) from agnosticism to confident faith. But even though I did not formally decide that I would write a philosophical piece per se, as I mentioned to Dr. Salemi above, I had two particular inspirations rolling around in my mind: Wordsworth’s autobiographical but poeticized “Prelude” and, more importantly, St. Augustine’s “Confessions,” which I finished reading a few months ago. Augustine details the development of his thinking from the time he was a child — paganism, Neoplatonism, Manicheism. And all the while Christianity is in the background with him repeatedly rejecting it. He was a very tough nut to crack! But once he found the proverbial chink in his armor of pride and was able to view faith in the Judeo-Christian God in a different way, his path towards a Christian life was set. I’m no Augustine, but I was captivated by his willingness to share his faith journey and decided that I wanted to do something like that also — only in poetry, which is where I am most emotionally articulate. A quick note, since I’ve mentioned Wordsworth. My final line uses the phrase “deeper than my tears.” This is intended as an allusion to Wordsworth’s words in Ode on Intimations of Immortality: “thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears.” And, as you hint, my own tears at the end are a reflection of intellect transcended and faith accepted (perhaps, with the slightest hint of baptism.) I’m glad you approve my metrical variation of “divine” which allowed me to end the line with an emphatic spondee. Your identifying the poet here as “cheeky” surprises me — until I consider how unorthodox the poem actually is and how an older speaker (gently) mocks his younger self and others who might believe as he/I once did. Thank you for identifying narcissism (and attendant pride) as the speaker’s nemesis in this poem. I’ve engaged in it (I’m ashamed to say), I’ve fought it, I’ve been surrounded by it and I’m happy to go on record identifying it as one of the major sources of our struggling culture’s woes, from atheism to transgender self-indulgence, to self-referential views on reality, to utter contempt for Truth. Lastly, bravo for science professors who could actually acknowledge that science does not supercede, cancel or disprove faith. You were lucky because most professors these days would be woke, evangelical atheists. There is irony in the fact that so many scientific discoveries through the centuries have been made by people of faith. Two who immediately come to mind are Sir Isaac Newton and Gregor Mendel. Reply
Susan Jarvis Bryant January 30, 2024 Brian, what a tour de force of a poem that explores the phases of a journey that leads to the ultimate awakening. As ever, your poem is written smoothly and beautifully, never detracting, only serving to enhance the wonder of the message it conveys… and the message is powerful. I particularly like the inner conflict: “I’d mock their books, their words, their very sight;/And think what if they’re right?” and “How shallow if I say God cannot rule…/And prove myself a fool.” are two wonderful examples of this. The chosen form works beautifully. Having those potent, bite-sized points at the end of each stanza conveys that inner struggle perfectly. I like the way the narrator grows increasingly humble as the poem progresses. From personal experience, I know that the older I get the less I know. The sheer complexity of Creation astounds and humbles me. The only thing I am certain of is that humankind has neither the ability to fully comprehend, nor the capability replicate the innumerable and unfathomable gifts that surround us. The closing couplet pricked my eyes with tears. What a magnificent journey to the life-changing realization that God exists… and He is more important than the one who thought he knew everything. These words: “God help me build faith stronger than my fears /And deeper than my tears.” are breathtaking. Very well done indeed, Brian, and thank you! Reply
Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you, Susan, for this extremely generous comment. You see exactly what I was aiming for! While I’m pleased that you see the poem as smoothly written, what most matters to me is that you see the progression of the speaker from youthful arrogance and pride to increasing humility leading finally to the tears that (I hope) reveal a certain surrender on the part of the speaker. We are perfectly aligned here: the older I get, the more I learn, the more I realize how much I don’t know and how lacking in wisdom I am. From that vantage point, I think the speaker has sufficient authority to admonish a “clever” (and deeply shallow) world which, like the speaker when he was an arrogant youth, thinks it knows more than it does. And, as you suggest, in the end, it is God that gives meaning to all that surrounds us. “Gifts innumerable and unfathomable” sounds very much like the title of a poem of gratitude. Would you care to give it a go? I’m especially glad that closing couplet moved you. As I mentioned to Margaret above, I embedded an allusion to Wordsworth’s Ode on Intimations of Immortality, and his “thoughts too deep for tears.” I hope that enhances rather than detracts from the impact of those closing lines. Susan, thank you again for your kind words! Reply
Shaun C. Duncan January 30, 2024 I really enjoyed this poem, Brian, having trod this intellectual path myself and I hope other readers appreciate that it’s not easy to set out a philosophical argument in verse, let alone have it flow so smoothly. The closing couplet is beautiful and the perfect summation of the poem’s theme, implying as it does a sense of ongoing inquiry and a hard-won humility. Reply
Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you so much for this, Shaun. I am so taken with your phrase “hard-won humility.” Yes, humility (very different from low self-esteem or humiliation) has a muscular component and it is, I think, an extremely important quality of character in matters spiritual. That it is “hard-won” is so true. It takes tremendous work to find acceptance of one’s right size in this world. And the ongoing inquiry you mention never stops, does it? It’s important in life, I believe, to remain both curious and teachable. Reply
Mike Bryant January 31, 2024 This is a big poem with big ideas. Every honest person must face these questions head on at some point. You clearly represent the challenges and the only logical conclusion. Love it! Reply
Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you very much, Mike! I do indeed think it’s the only logical conclusion. Unfortunately, there are a great many who would disagree with us. I do not envy them. Reply
C.B. Anderson January 31, 2024 This poem is piercingly intelligent and satisfyingly cosmic. It is difficult to gaze at the sky (day or night, or in between) and not experience feelings of awe. It was my impression that String Theory posits eleven, not twelve, dimensions, but an even dozen is close enough. And who’s counting? — except when it comes to metrical feet. Reply
Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you, C.B., for this incredible comment. I don’t know about “piercingly intelligent” but I’m glad tyou feel that way. And “satisfyingly cosmic” is particularly pleasing to me. You are absolutely right about String Theory. At least one version of it. However, when I was preparing this poem I found versions of String Theory with 10 dimensions, then 11, then 21, then 26, then 9. Those amazing, objective scientists really do have it down to a science, don’t they? Well, when I saw there was no agreement, I decided on 12 as the most religiously significant number I could summon to subtly mock the theory. It’s just me being transgressive. And isn’t it interesting that when God is in charge all you need are the 4 dimensions which we can actually observe and verify? But atheists would rather come up with outlandish, tortured and unprovable hypotheses involving 9,10,11, 21 or 26 unseen dimensions rather than consider the vastly simpler, more logical, elegant possibility of a Creator. Personally, I think Occam’s razor applies here. Reply
C.B. Anderson February 1, 2024 In any case, Brian, String Theory has not panned out as well as many physicists had hoped. They still find themselves unable to unify gravity with the other three forces. It’s something of a muddle at this point. Persons such as us have little chance to master the mathematics involved, but neither can the mathematics master the actual world.
C.B. Anderson February 1, 2024 Part of my “piercingly intelligent” description had to do with the way you nailed the psychology involved, and on those grounds alone it is justified.
Brian A. Yapko February 1, 2024 Thank you, C.B. The psychological journey was actually cathartic to write about. I’m glad I was able to present it in a way that was comprehensible and relatable rather than solipsistic or navel-gazing. As for that elusive Theory of Everything — I rather hope they never come up with the solution. It is my view that there are some mysteries that should never be solved. As you point out, the mathematics can never truly master the world. I read an interesting article perhaps a year ago about scientists and atheism. Across the spectrum, it seems that the highest percentage of atheists in science is in Physics. And the highest number of believers is in Mathematics. The inference I draw from that is that Mathematicians are able to discern a symmetry and perfect order in the universe which probability would suggest is divinely-ordained.
Joseph S. Salemi January 31, 2024 Some of the most important discoveries in cosmology were made by Georges Lemaître, a Belgian Catholic priest who was also a brilliant theoretical physicist, astronomer, and mathematician whose work was read and respected world-wide. It was Lemaître (he taught at the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium) who laid the groundwork for the Big Bang theory. Together with Edwin Hubble’s subsequent observations of galactic movement, this proved that the universe is not static but expanding. Lemaître postulated a single particle or “primeval atom,” the explosion of which created the universe and set it in endless motion. Lemaître’s countless contributions to theoretical cosmology are right up there with those of Hubble, Eddington, and Einstein. The Big Bang was merely one of them. He had no problems at all with being fully committed to his Catholic faith, and at the same time understanding and analyzing the existence of the physical world. I am reminded of the very wise remark of a Renaissance cardinal during the dispute over the Copernican theory of heliocentrism and planetary movement. He said “The Bible tells us how to get to heaven. It does not tell us how the heavens move.” Reply
Brian A. Yapko January 31, 2024 Thank you for this information, Joe! I’ve seen the name Lemaitre in science books but had no idea that he was a Catholic priest! His work was integral to what may well be the most important discovery in astrophysics of the 20th Century. Imagine a science-minded priest in the company of Hubble, Eddington and Einstein! This unexpected assocition is deeply intriguing to me. And you indicate that there were many other contributions as well. Well, you have given me a fascinating individual to research and possibly write about. Thank you. And that Renaissance cardinal’s quote is priceless. Reply
Jeff Eardley February 1, 2024 Brian, the great English writer, Douglas Adams, in his “Hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy” postulated that the answer to the riddle of “Life, the Universe and Everthing” was……Forty Two! I stuck with this for a while until I started to lie on my back in dark sky locations and realise there is more to it than that. All these stellar objects flying away from each other, yet, in my lifetime, they haven’t moved at all. Your deeply philosophical piece merits many readings. You are a great poet Brian. I loved this. Reply
Brian A. Yapko February 1, 2024 Jeff, thank you. This extremely generous comment is almost a poem itself. I love your observation about how stellar objects fly away from us and each other — usually at incomprehensible speeds — and we don’t notice any difference! If you think about it, that’s astonishing! And I must say, Forty Two as the answer is indeed baffling. Reply
Joshua C. Frank February 3, 2024 Brian, this is great! You’ve captured so well the thought process of an unbeliever slowly starting to become a believer… as I’m in a position to know, not having become serious about the Catholic faith into which I was baptized until my twenties. Normally, I have a favorite line in each of your poems, but in this one, every line describes it perfectly. Reply
Brian A. Yapko February 3, 2024 Thank you very much, Josh! I’m so happy to receive this comment! And boy am I glad we both became believers. I wish I had found faith in my twenties like you, but I guess it takes what it takes. Reply
Joshua C. Frank February 3, 2024 Hey, I wish I’d found faith in my teens! But I’m extremely glad we both became believers as well.
